The present invention relates to fluid dispensing devices incorporating a toggle member that accomplishes three distinct functions at three different positions: a leakproof closure; a squirt dispenser; and, a measured quantity dispenser.
Toggle valves have long been known in the art as a means for providing on-off closures, wherein the channel for dispensing a fluid from a reservoir defined by a bottle or other container, is composed of a segmented bore, part of which is defined by the toggle and part by the cap. When the bore segments are aligned by moving the toggle, the channel communicates between the reservoir of the bottle and the external environment allowing the fluid to escape when acted upon either by gravity or the pressure forces applied by constricting the sides of the container by a squeeze of the hand. Further movement of the toggle breaks the alignment of the bore segments, sealing the fluid in the reservoir, as the solid portion of the toggle mates with the top of the bore segment defined by the cap.
The present invention incorporates this feature and in addition, supplies a means whereby a precise amount of fluid may be decanted without aid of a separate measuring device; without danger of spilling the fluid, and wherein any excess fluid is returned to the container.
Earlier measuring/dispensing devices have been multipart, comparatively expensive, devices which relied primarily upon the time needed for a ball to sink through the fluid and seal the dispensing aperture; the time needed for the ball to sink being equal to the time needed for a specific amount of fluid to be dispensed.